Chapter 171: It Feels So Good to Be Home (Part 2)

Tao Ming felt a little guilty, closed her eyes, and replied, "Ruanruan is still so young. Even if you're back, she still has to sleep with us."

Su Nanxing pried open Tao Ming's eyelids. "We are definitely buying a children's bed today! Besides, where is your brother supposed to sleep?"

"The sofa pulls out into a bed. It's totally fine for him to sleep on the sofa for a few days." Tao Ming simply opened her eyes again.

Hearing this, Su Nanxing frowned. "The sofa pulls out into a bed? Honestly confess, who else has slept on that sofa?"

Tao Ming's head began to ache; this guy was really making a scene out of nothing!

She reached out, wrapped her arms around Su Nanxing's neck, and kissed his lips. "It hasn't been used even once."

Seeing Tao Ming take the initiative, Su Nanxing couldn't help feeling smug. Hehehe, it seemed this kind of tactic worked wonderfully.

When the kiss ended, Tao Ming cautiously asked, "Are we good now?"

Su Nanxing feigned dissatisfaction. "Not enough."

Tao Ming replied helplessly, "My brother is still sitting alone in the living room. Aren't we being a bit unfriendly to our guest?"

Hearing Tao Ming refer to Qiao Kongqing as a guest, Su Nanxing's mood became even more delightful, and only then did he let her go.

The two returned to the bedroom together. Qiao Kongqing and the two little ones were sitting on the sofa watching a cartoon. Seeing Tao Ming come out, Qiao Kongqing smiled and said, "This place is quite entertaining."

Tao Ming looked at the clothes he was wearing and his long hair, feeling a headache coming on.

Clothes were easy to deal with, but what about his hair?

Tao Ming spoke with a troubled expression, "Brother, once it gets light, I'll take you out to buy some clothes, but your hair is simply too long."

Qiao Kongqing pulled at his long hair. "Is it long?"

Su Nanxing pointed at his own hair. "Why don't you cut it to length like mine? This kind of hairstyle is considered fashionable."

Qiao Kongqing nodded. "That's fine too."

Seeing Qiao Kongqing agree, Tao Ming said, "Honey, keep them company. I'll go make breakfast."

How could Su Nanxing bear to let Tao Ming cook alone? "I'll go with you. Two people are faster."

Qiao Kongqing also stood up. "I'd like to see how you do it."

Once inside the kitchen, Qiao Kongqing touched this and that, asking about every single utensil in the room.

Tao Ming and Su Nanxing worked together with tacit understanding, quickly preparing four dishes and a soup. Everyone sat down together to eat.

Qiao Kongqing looked curiously at the dishes on the table. "Mingming, is this what you call stir-frying?"

Tao Ming placed a piece of braised pork belly into his bowl. "Have a taste."

Qiao Kongqing picked up the pork belly, observed it carefully first, then opened his mouth to take a small bite. After chewing it thoroughly, he nodded. "It really tastes different from anything I've ever eaten before."

The meal finished at a little past six, and the sky was just barely beginning to brighten.

Tao Ming pulled out her phone and saw that it was already mid-December; no wonder the morning light came so late.

When they left, it had been early summer, and in the blink of an eye, half a year had passed.

Tao Ming looked down at the short sleeves and jeans she was wearing, then glanced at the short sleeves and shorts Ruanruan and Nuonuo had on, feeling thoroughly puzzled. "Winter has already arrived here, so why don't I feel cold at all?"

Qiao Kongqing asked in surprise, "Don't you remember how cold the Eternal Darkness Realm was? This place is very warm."

Tao Ming shook her head. "I don't remember. I only remember having lived there."

Su Nanxing retrieved some in-season clothes and pulled Tao Ming toward the bedroom. "I'll help you change."

Once the two had changed, Tao Ming dressed the two little ones in slightly warmer clothes and checked the time—it was just past seven o'clock.

"Brother, it's still early for the malls to open. Would you like to go out for a spin?" Tao Ming asked, seeking Qiao Kongqing's opinion.

Qiao Kongqing nodded. "That's fine."

Everyone headed out. When they stepped into the elevator, Qiao Kongqing was thoroughly amazed and bewildered.

Once outside the apartment building, Tao Ming looked at the little red car covered in a layer of dust parked in its spot and felt a headache coming on. How could she have forgotten to put a cover on it when they left? She wondered if it would even start.

She opened the trunk, took out a brush to clean it off casually, and handed the keys to Su Nanxing. "Honey, see if it still runs."

Su Nanxing nimbly climbed into the driver's seat, adjusted the position of the seat, and after looking around, asked aloud, "Wife, tiptronic transmission?"

"Yep."

Su Nanxing inserted the key, turned it through the ignition stages while waiting. Listening to the sounds from the front, Tao Ming wondered if it would start up.

Soon, the engine roared to life. Su Nanxing backed the car out of the parking space, and Tao Ming pulled open the passenger door. "Brother, sit here."

Qiao Kongqing curiously climbed into the front passenger seat, his long legs left with nowhere to stretch.

Tao Ming told him how to adjust the seat. He tried it out, pushing the seat backward to its absolute limit.

Watching the distance the seat moved, Su Nanxing felt even better. With the passenger seat pushed so far forward, it showed that whoever usually sat here was a woman.

Tao Ming tucked the two little ones into their child safety seats and sat down right beside them.

"Honey, drive a lap around the ring road and see along the way if there's any car wash." Tao Ming rolled down the window and felt a surge of excitement looking at the familiar scenery of the residential complex.

Su Nanxing turned his head and said, "I don't know the way. I've only been here a few times."

"Let's switch. You sit in the back." Tao Ming opened the door and nimbly hopped out.

Soon, the little red car rolled out of the complex.

The pedestrians and vehicles on the road were increasing by the minute. Tao Ming merged against the flow of traffic onto the road leading out of the city and gradually accelerated.

Qiao Kongqing began to feel dizzy and asked through clenched teeth, "Mingming, why do I feel so dizzy?"

Ruanruan laughed. "Uncle, you're carsick!"

Su Nanxing fished out a medicine bottle and handed it to him. "Brother, take one of these. I used to get carsick too."

After taking the medicine, Qiao Kongqing felt his head clear up significantly. Looking at the buildings flashing backward on either side, he asked in astonishment, "Can cars travel this fast?"

Tao Ming glanced at the dashboard showing a speed of 75 and curled her lips. "It can go even faster! It's just that the horse-drawn carriages in Weishui are way too slow!"

Observing everything before him—the numerous shops on both sides of the street, the bustling pedestrians, and the vibrant atmosphere everywhere—Qiao Kongqing asked, "Mingming, is this where you grew up?"

"Yeah, I lived here for over a decade. Of course, a year here is very short." Spotting an automatic car wash ahead, Tao Ming slowed down and drove toward it.

After washing the car, Tao Ming drove straight onto the ring road.

Driving a full circle around the city, Qiao Kongqing developed an unprecedented interest in the little red car.

Seeing him stare fixedly at the steering wheel, Tao Ming smiled and said, "They always say cars are a man's romance, and they're completely right."

Hearing this, Qiao Kongqing asked curiously, "Then what is a woman's romance?"

"Diamonds!" answered Ruanruan.

"Roses!" answered Nuonuo.

Su Nanxing looked at the back of Tao Ming's head and smiled. "My wife is different from others. She likes all kinds of tools."

"Mhm, I like doing handcrafts." Tao Ming glanced at the time—it was just a few minutes before nine. She steered the car off the ring road and headed toward the commercial district.

Parking the car, Tao Ming turned to Qiao Kongqing and said, "Brother, let's go shopping for clothes."

Su Nanxing offered a suggestion: "Wife, why don't you go up first and buy an outfit for him to change into before we shop? His current look has too much personality; he'll definitely draw a crowd."

Tao Ming agreed that made complete sense. She measured Qiao Kongqing's dimensions with her hands and quickly bought a set of men's clothing nearby.

Helping Qiao Kongqing change into them, Tao Ming looked at the handsome man before her and praised, "Brother, your face is outrageously handsome."

Su Nanxing became displeased. "Wife, one shouldn't be so superficial."

Tao Ming rolled her eyes. "Pardon me, I'm not a saint; I'm just this superficial."

Seeing Su Nanxing's unhappy expression, Tao Ming smiled. "What did you think I was hanging around with you for all this time? It's simply because you're good-looking!"

Su Nanxing instantly transformed his anger into joy.